Multi-temperature glue stick

ABSTRACT

An adhesive composition is comprised of a mixture of an EVA copolymer and two tackifying resins, a high temperature tackifying resin and a low temperature tackifying resin. The viscosity of the adhesive composition is between 2,000 cps to 80,000 cps over a temperature range of 250° F. to 380° F. The composition comprises 60% by weight of the copolymer, 15% by weight of the low temperature tackifying resin and 25% by weight of the high temperature tackifying resin.

This application is a continuation of 08/070,046 filed Jun. 1, 1993 U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,792, issued Nov. 8, 1994, entitled "Hot-Melt Composition for a Glue Stick Operating Over Multiple Application Temperature Ranges".

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains in general to adhesives, especially hot-melt adhesives for use in commercial glue gun applications at multiple application temperatures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently available adhesive systems are typically based on polymeric materials that can be divided into one of two classes, thermoset or thermoplastics. Although the thermoset class inherently has better cohesive strength, is thermally stable, and in general, can be formulated to adhere to a wide variety of substrates, the thermoplastic adhesives or hot-melt adhesives are preferred. These adhesives develop their bond strength almost instantaneously, requiring virtually no time for cure and can be applied and reactivated relatively easily under severe environmental conditions. The hot-melt adhesives have found wide applications in the commercial market to provide bonding of a wide variety of materials.

The first commercially available hot-melt adhesives were packaged as glue sticks that were utilized in conjunction with a glue gun to apply the glue at temperatures of around 380° F. The viscosities of these early glue sticks upon application was around 9000 cps; they had a rather sharp viscosity curve and were not very useful at lower temperatures. Applications of a glue to material that was heat sensitive below 380° F. essentially precluded the use of these hot-melt adhesives. As a result, low temperature hot-melt adhesives were developed. Examples of these are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,482 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,680. These low temperature hot-melt compositions required a special glue gun that operated at a temperature of around 250° F. The viscosity exhibited by these low temperature hot-melt compositions was around 4900 at 250° F. However, their viscosity at 380° C. was less than 600 cps. As a result, if these glue sticks were utilized in a glue gun that had application temperatures of 380° F., i.e., a high temperature glue gun, they would exhibit a very "runny" composition and would provide little utility. However, if the opposite occurred wherein a high temperature hot-melt adhesive composition were utilized in a stick form with the low temperature glue gun, the viscosity of these materials would be in excess of 100,000, and, as such, they would not freely flow and would result in jamming of the glue guns. As a result of this, glue guns were developed having two application temperatures. One solution to multiple glue sticks is to design one of the guns to utilize a different shape for the glue stick.

One disadvantage to having both high temperature and low temperature glue sticks is that a commercial establishment must now not only carry glue guns that are capable of multiple application temperatures, but also, the establishments must stock two types of glue sticks. This creates problems from both an inventory standpoint for the retailer and the use by the purchaser.

The present invention disclosed and claimed herein comprises an adhesive composition for a glue stick operating at first and second temperatures, which comprises a major portion of an EVA copolymer having a predetermined softening point. A low temperature tackifying resin is utilized, having a softening point about 20° C. above the softening point of the EVA copolymer. A high temperature tackifying resin is included having a softening point about 45° C. above the softening point of the EVA copolymer.

The composition is utilized in a glue stick that is utilized in a glue gun that has more than one temperature extending from a first application temperature to a second and higher application temperature. The glue stick has a viscosity from the first to the second application temperatures that will allow application of the glue to a surface while the glue is in a fluid state, such that the fluid state of the glue allows it to flow from the glue gun and not substantially migrate on the surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawing in which FIG. 1 illustrates a logarithmic plot of the values in Table 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The basic polymer of the adhesive composition of the invention is preferably selected from the copolymers of olefins and esters. A particularly preferred copolymer for use as the basic polymer of the adhesive composition is an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, which is manufactured by Exxon Chemicals under the trade name Escorene® UL 7510 (EDA). The properties of the EVA copolymer utilized in the present invention are listed in Table 1.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         Vinyl Acetate Content (wt %)                                                                             18                                                   Melt Index (dg/min)       450                                                  Melt Viscosity (cps @ 250° F.)                                                                    350                                                  Specific Gravity, 20/20° C.                                                                       0.920                                                Softening Point, R&B, °C.                                                                         85                                                   Bulk Density, lbs/ft      33                                                   Melt Temperature (Tm), °C.                                                                        78                                                   Crystallization Temperature (Tc), °C.                                                             52                                                   Tensile Strength, psi     600                                                  Elongation, %             650                                                  Hardness, Durometer       80                                                   Refractive Index          1,487                                                Cloud Point, °C.   70                                                   ______________________________________                                    

The EVA copolymer is desirably combined with two different tackifying resins, a low temperature tackifying resin and a high temperature tackifying resin. The low temperature tackifying resin is preferably a hydrocarbon tackifying resin, which is an aromatic modified aliphatic resin that is soluble in both aromatic and aliphatic solvents. One satisfactory low temperature tackifying resin for use in the invention is manufactured by Exxon Chemicals under the product name ECR-165. A summary of the properties of the low temperature tackifying resin is provided in Table 2.

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         Softening Point, °C.                                                                             105                                                   Color                                                                          Initial, Saybolt         >27                                                   Aged, 5 hrs @ 177° C.                                                   Gardner                  <2                                                    GPC, Molecular Weight                                                          Mw                       455                                                   Mn                       216                                                   Mw/Mn                    2.11                                                  Mz                       960                                                   Melt Viscosity cps                                                             140° C. 284° F.                                                                           6250                                                  160° C. 320° F.                                                                           990                                                   180° C. 356° F.                                                                           260                                                   Glass Transition via DSC, °C.                                                                    55                                                    Volatility, wt. %        .67                                                   ______________________________________                                    

The high temperature tackifying resin is also preferably a petroleum hydrocarbon resin. A satisfactory resin for use as the high temperature tackifying resin is manufactured by Exxon Chemicals under the product name Escorez® 5320. A summary of the properties for the high temperature tackifying resin is provided in Table 3.

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         Softening Point, R&B, °C.                                                                       125                                                    Color                                                                          Saybolt Color, Initial  30                                                     Gardner, Color,         5                                                      After 16 Hours @ 350°F.                                                 Molten Gardner Color    1                                                      Cloud Point, °C., 20/40/40                                                                      70                                                     Melt Viscosity, cps                                                            300° F.          22,000                                                 350° F.          1,500                                                  400° F.          250                                                    Molecular Weight                                                               Mw                      460                                                    Mn                      360                                                    Mw/Mn                   1.3                                                    Tg, °C.          70                                                     Volatility, wt. %       1.5                                                    ______________________________________                                    

The low temperature tackifying resin preferably comprises approximately 15% by weight of the adhesive composition. The high temperature tackifying resin, which aids in providing adequate viscosity over the higher end of the temperature range, preferably comprises from about 20% to about 30%, and most preferably about 25%, by weight of the adhesive composition. It can be seen from the tables that the softening point for the high temperature tackifying resin is about 125° C., whereas the softening point for the low temperature tackifying resin is about 105° C. The EVA copolymer has a melting point of about 78° C. and a softening point of about 85° C.

When the base copolymer and the low and high temperature tackifying resins are combined in the proportions disclosed herein, they provide a viscosity range that is acceptable at both the low end (about 250° F.) and at the high end (about 380° F.) of the temperature range. A comparison of the Hi/Lo composition of the present invention and two low-melt compositions, Low-Melt A and Low-Melt B, and two hi-melt compositions, Hi-melt A and Hi-melt B is illustrated in Table 4.

                  TABLE 4                                                          ______________________________________                                         VISCOSITY (cps)                                                                       Low Melt Low Melt         Melt   Melt                                   Temp.  A        B        Hi/Lo Melt                                                                             A      B                                      ______________________________________                                         200° F.                                                                        44,800   23,750   137,500 >500,000                                                                              219,500                                225° F.                                                                        10,613   11,625   70,900  210,500                                                                               118,750                                250° F.                                                                        4,900    6,700    39,500  102,750                                                                               68,750                                 275° F.                                                                        2,965    4,075    23,500  56,500 42,300                                 300° F.                                                                        1,830    2,605    15,000  32,000 26,700                                 325° F.                                                                        1,245    1,755    9,775   19,500 18,000                                 350° F.                                                                        848      1,300    6,725   12,425 12,375                                 375° F.                                                                        620      900      4,800   8,350  9,000                                  400° F.                                                                        450      680      3,525   5,763  6,450                                  ______________________________________                                    

It can be seen from Table 4 that the viscosity of the adhesive composition of the present invention is around 39,500 cps at 250° F. and 4,800 cps at 375° F. By comparison, the two low-melt compositions have a viscosity of less than 1,000 cps, both at the temperature of 375° F., with acceptable viscosities of between 4,500-7,000 cps at 250° F. By comparison, the hi-melt compositions have a viscosity of between 8,000-9,000 cps at 375° F., but greater than 60,000 at 250° F. As such, the hi-melt compositions A and B would not flow through a glue gun at the low temperatures, whereas the low-melt compositions A and B would be runny and incompatible with any applications at the high temperature. Typically, the viscosity at the high temperature of 380° F. should be greater than 2,000 and at the low temperature of 250° F. should be less than 80,000 cps.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a logarithmic plot of the values in Table 4. It can be seen that all the hi-melt compositions are grouped together and all the low-melt compositions are grouped together. The composition of the present invention is disposed between the two, but in such a manner that the viscosity between 250° F. and 380° F. is between 80,000 cps and 2,000 cps.

In summary, a hot-melt adhesive composition is provided herein that, when manufactured into a glue stick and used in a glue gun, will form a melt exhibiting a viscosity between about 80,000 and about 2,000 cps, and most preferably between about 40,000 and about 5,000 cps when applied at temperatures ranging between about 250° F. and about 380° F. The adhesive composition preferably comprises an EVA copolymer combined with a tackifying resin having no wax component. The tackifying resin preferably comprises a low temperature tackifying resin in combination with a high temperature tackifying resin. The adhesive compositions disclosed herein are manufactured into glue sticks having a desired length and cross-sectional shape by conventional means.

Although the preferred embodiment has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A glue stick adapted for use in a glue gun operating at either about 250° F. or about 380° F. which stick comprises EVA copolymer and tackifier, said stick providing a viscosity of glue between about 5000 cps and about 40,000 cps when applied at temperatures between about 380° F. and about 250° F.
 2. The glue stick of claim 1 comprising:(a) a major portion of an EVA copolymer having a predetermined softening point; (b) a low temperature tackifying resin having a softening point about 20° C. above the softening point of said EVA copolymer; and (c) a high temperature tackifying resin having a softening point about 45° C. above the softening point of said EVA copolymer.
 3. The glue stick of claim 2 wherein said low temperature tackifying resin is present in an amount from 10% to 20%.
 4. The glue stick of claim 2 wherein said high temperature tackifying resin is present in an amount from 20% to 30%.
 5. The glue stick of claim 3 wherein said high temperature tackifying resin is present in amount from 20% to 30%.
 6. The glue stick of claim 2 wherein the softening point of the EVA copolymer is about 85° C.
 7. The glue stick of claim 3 wherein the softening point of the EVA copolymer is about 85° C.
 8. The glue stick of claim 4 wherein the softening point of the EVA copolymer is about 85° C.
 9. The glue stick of claim 5 wherein the softening point of the EVA copolymer is about 85° C. 